Railway-switch mechanism.



J. DUBOIS & J. E. JONES.

RAILWAY SWITCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I4, 1914- Patented ay 2:, 1915.

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JAMES DUBOIS AND JOHN E. JONES, OF WESTVILLE, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-SWITCH MECHANISM.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed May 14., 1914. Serial No. 838,424.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES Donors and JOHN E.Jones, citizens of the United States, residing at VVestville, county ofVermilion, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Railway-Switch Mechanism, and declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

Our invention has for its object to produce a simple and efficientmechanism for insuring that a switch will either be fully open or fullyclosed and be yieldingly locked in either of the two positions which itmay assume.

A further object of our invention is to produce a simple and novelswitch mechanism which can successfully be operated from a passing caror train.

The various features of novelty whereby our invention is characterizedwill hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claim; but fora full understanding of our invention and of its objects and advantages,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view ofa portion of a railway track provided with switch mechanism arranged inaccordance with our invention.

Referring to the drawing, 1 and 2 represent the stationary rails and 3and 4 represent switch points cooperating therewith. At the side of thetrack is arranged a switch stand, 5, in which is revolubly mounted avertical shaft or spindle, 6. On the upper end of the shaft or spindleis a laterally projecting arm, 7 for operating the same. 011 the lowerend of the shaft or spindle is a cross bar, 8, to one end or the otherof which is connected an actuating rod, 9, attached to the switchpoints. In the arrangement shown, there is between the memliers 8 and 9a link, 10. The switch stand is provided with a cross piece, 11, nearthe base to form the lower bearing for the shaft or rod and, arran edjust above this cross piece is an arm, 12, integrally connected with theshaft or rod and projecting laterally therefrom. A rod, 13, is hinged atone end to the outer end of the arm 12 and passes at its other endthrough an upwardly projecting portion in a bracket, 14:, connected tothe switch stand. A spring, 15, surrounds the rod 13, bearing at one endagainst the bracket and at its other end against a suitable shoulder onthe rod adj acent to the hinged joint between it and the member 12.

The parts are so proportioned that whenever the operating shaft or rod 6is turned in one direction or the other, its movement is limited throughthe engagement of one or the other of the switch points to the adacentstationary rail in the track. The members 12 and 13 are so arranged withrespect to each other that they are out of alinement with each other inboth the open and closed positions of the switch and in alinement witheach other only at a single predetermined angular position of the rod orshaft 6 as it is traveling in one direction or the other. The spring 15is always under tension, the tension being least when the switch iseither open or closed, but being still suflicient at these times toprovide a yielding lock for the switch. The spring not only serves tolock the switch but it also serves as an actuator, because in turningthe operating shaft to throw the switch in one direction or the other,the tension of the spring is increased as the members 12 and 18 comeinto alinement with each other and then, when the center is passed, thepower stored in the spring is exerted to complete the throwing of theswitch.

The length of the crank arm between the vertical shaft or stem and theactuating rod for the switch points is made such that a completemovement of the switch from the open to the closed position, or viceversa is effected by turning this crank arm through an angle materiallyless than 180 degrees. Furthermore, the actuating arm or handle, 7, isplaced so as to lie on the side of the stand next to the track so thatit swings between the shaft or stem 6 and the track. Since the operatingshaft is required to turn through an angle of less than 180 degrees inthrowing the switch, the arm or handle 7 need never assume a positionparallel with the tracks if the stand is properly placed, but willalways point toward the tracks so that if grasped by a workman on apassing car or an approaching car, a leverage is afforded by which theworkman is able to throw the switch. This feature, that is having theactuating arm or handle swing through an angle less than 180 degrees onthe side of the switch stand next. to the track, we regard as a veryimportant feature of our invention as it makes it possible for a workmanat the head. of a car or train to throw the switch in advance of the caror the train or, if he be at the rear end of the 7 car or train, tothrow the switch behind the car or train; it being consequentlyunnecessary for a workman to be stationed on the train.

By having a cross bar, 8, which projects in opposite directions from theswitch shaft or spindle, and connecting the rod 9 to the proper end ofthe cross bar, the operating handle 7 may be made to occupy either theposition shown in full lines or that shown in dotted lines, at the timethe switch is open. This is an advantage as it permits each switch standto be adjusted readily so as best to meet the particular conditions ofservice at that point.

While we have illustrated and described with particularity only a singlepreferred form of our invention, we do not desire to be limited to theexact structural details thus illustrated and described, but intend tocover all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed inthe definitions of our invention constituting the appended claim.

We claim:

In combination, a track containing a switch, mechanism for manuallyoperating the switch including a single rigid actuating handle movableonly in a horizontal plane adapted to swing about a vertical axisthrough an angle of less than 180 degrees, the parts being soproportioned and arranged that the free end of the handle points towardthe track in all positions of the handle, and a spring permanently c0n--nected to said mechanism for yieldingly holding said handle at eachlimit of its movement and for completing the movement from one limit tothe other after a predetermined point has been reached by the handle.

In testimony whereof, we sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES DUBOIS. JOHN E. JONES.

Witnesses:

ED KOEPKE, HARRY S. KADDIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

